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8th Ave-42nd St (A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W)
42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)
"I look back at Pizza Suprema with fond memories. I spent many evenings here eating up some incredibly delicious pizza while cramming for…" read more »
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i went to this place on one of my first freshman-year-of-college day trips into the city. my then-roommate had a friend from her home state of new hampshire visiting who wanted us to show her around; problem was, we didn't know where to go any more than she did. after the requisite times square photo ops and dirty water dogs, we wanted something a little more substantial. but of course there is so much in the city that we had no idea where to start. i tried to play it cool, like "oh, we'll just find something," but my roommate, who was a hooters girl and a bit of a ditz, just stood at the corner of two streets looking lost until some guy asked what she was looking for. in a tiny, childish, little-girl-in-the-big-city voice (which i still cringe at the memory of) she proclaimed, "we want pizza!" this guy was nice enough to direct us to john's.
pizza here is solid, brick oven style. thin, crispy/foldy, but by no means the best in the city. since it's not available by the slice you do lose that element of the new york pizza experience. but as a tourist, john's is still appealing. the space is very pretty - the dining room is huge and high ceilinged; the brick ovens are visible from where you sit and you can watch the chefs throwing the dough in the air and making your pie. the walls are brick except the one big back wall, which is a huge black and white mural (looks like a pencil drawing) of the city - very detailed and very interesting, and appropriate since that's probably why you're there to begin with.
i've come back since then, when one of my friends came to visit, and gotten a good response. amore in flushing is still my favorite but this is a good pick around here.
So, I'm from Philly - home to about 2 or 3 good pizza places and a ton of very, very average joints. I'm certainly not a huge pizza snob (like I am with other foods)...in fact, I tend to love most pizza but I know average pizza when I taste it and John's was about as average as it gets.
The place is huge, the lines extremely long, the waitstaff rude and invisible most of the time, and the pizza is extremely boring. \
Examples of where this place goes wrong:
1) Margherita pizza is NOT supposed to be a plain pizza with about 2 cups of shredded basil on top. No fresh mozzarella? No fresh tomatoes? Ridiculous.
2) Using low quality mozzarella for your pizza is a hallmark of a tourist trap trying to maximize profits. This place hits this point hard.
3) No free refills on your $4 soda? Nice.
4) You'll see your waiter three times, total. Taking bar order, food order, check. Good luck if you want more water.
5) You pay the same (insane) price for toppings, even if you only want it on half or quarter of the pizza. See point # 2 about maximizing profits by taking advantage of tourists.
Now, the pizza is solidly a 3 star affair - it wasn't bad but it wasn't anything more than a very average wood fired pizza, either. Factor in the high cost ($15-20 per large pizza plus $2.50-5 for each topping), crappy service, long waits, and an overall underwhelming experience and I'd say it's not worth going.
Also, many in my group enjoyed the atmosphere and some thought the pizza was really good.
Still, people will flock to this place after a show because it's far cheaper/easier than many other options in the Theatre District.
Last time I was in New York I left unimpressed with the pizza. I went back to Chicago, snubbed my nose at the thin crust. I knew when I went back to New York, I wanted to try to John's and see the awesome cathedral ceiling I saw on TV, but never made it to the back of the place because it was so crowded :(
The wait ended up not being that long, and the bar made it more tolerable. Unfortunately, there was a horrible draft coming in through the front door, even the hostess was wearing her winter coat. It's never fun to eat in your coat. The pizza was good enough, much better than my previous NYC pizza experience. I even got to fold it *score* It wasn't crazy delicious, but again it was a margherita pizza.
I'd go back to John's on a less busy day and give their pizza another go round and check out the ceiling.
Good pizza, pretty standard crunchy thin crust. The cathedral ceiling really is pretty, and as a reformed catholic it is pretty hilarious to think that you are eating in an old church.
The only comparison I have is Grimaldi's, and honestly I couldn't really tell the difference. I'm not sure if I would go back, though, because you have to brave Times Square.
Even though this location is in a pretty tourist-heavy area, I've never felt that the environment catered only to us visitors. The ambiance inside was very warm and welcoming, and seeing the beautiful stained glass on the ceiling is definitely the highlight while you wait for your pizza.
We ordered a small pizza with breaded eggplant and prosciutto... very tasty and a small is more than enough for two people. The dough is thin and crispy and the toppings are very fresh. They also have a great selection of pastas, drinks, and salads. Service was very good and fast.
A great place to go for visitors to get your NYC-pizza fix.
Prepare to wait. Pizza is pretty good. Crust has a good balance between crispy and chewy. I went with a large party and several pasta dishes were ordered. The pink sauce was rather bland. The pesto was bland. I admit, once I added a good bit of salt to the pesto, it was rather tasty, though a bit heavy since they add cream to it. Because this used to be an old church (although some of the stained glass has Judaic symbols) the main room is pretty interesting, and may be worth the trip itself.
After eating at John's no pizza compares! It's amazing, it's light, fluffy, foldable and yummy!!!
The location is amazing, the atmosphere is old world meets NYC class. The open kitchen with the wood stove is so much fun to watch and the GIANT staircase makes the experience very romantic.
The dough is hand tossed - and I have to say it's super fun to watch them do it - lightly sauced and made with real slices of mozzarella, it's worth the $12 for a plain cheese and sauce pie. We ordered a pie to split and some caesar salads. The whole meal was fresh and very tasty.
Food wise this was the best part of the trip. I wish we had made it out to the original location on Bleecker , but it just means I'll have to check that one out next time.
John's is a MUST when in NYC...make it a Broadway night and start here.
I went here for my husband's birthday after going to a play and I adoorrrrred the place! I went here a few years before with my father who said he heard good things about it (we're big pizza people when we are not eating indo-pak home food- its our way of integrating into America I suppose :-p!)
I always order extra marinara sauce to put on the slices when they come... I must also note in this review I eat pizza with a fork and knife so it works out that I can put marinara sauce over their brick-oven pizza without it going all over the plate (and my face)
I would order a medium for two hungry people..we had like two slices left.. it fills you up... the wait is pretty long but their space is ample so once you get your seat, you're not uncomfortable...
I did have to order some lemons to put over the sauce and pizza to add some flavor, but then again.. I put it in everything and their flavors were FINE enough that I could have passed on it...
enjoy John's!!
Very tasty, thin crust pizza. I love their sausage because it's the crumbled sausage out of the casing kind, not the frequently found sausage on the east coast where it's a cooked sausage that's sliced and thrown on the pizza (can't stand that, laying on the pizza all grey and dried out and gross). Not overly sauced. Convenient location also if you're hanging out in Midtown.
I've been to John's a few times before going to see Broadway shows and it's always a good time. The pizza is good and the place has a fun atmosphere. I still like Saluggi's pizza better in SoHo better though.
I read Yelp reviews before heading to NY and I thought the pizza would be of 4 stars quality. Nope. I got a cheese pie and I've definitely had better cheese pizza before. When pizza is good, you shouldn't need all these toppings, but I probably should have gotten toppings.
Will be going elsewhere for pizza in NY.
We had a Broadway day.
Stood in the Tix line.
Caught Hair.
Grabbed a bite at John's.
Stood in the Tix line.
Then caught West Side Story.
The location was ideal.
It wasn't the best pizza ever.
But definitely good.
My parents and I shared a large, which was the perfect size.
We waited maybe 10 minutes for a table and sat upstairs.
I did like the uniqueness of the cathedral interior.
Quite a difference to some of the otherwise cramped interiors in NYC.
Really enjoyed this place! The space is a lot of fun and the original church ceiling is beautiful. The pizza was fantastic, especially the crust and fresh basil. Watching the carefully tended pizza oven is fun too. The rice pudding is fantastic too. Looking forward to going back.
great for groups because its cheap, and things get expensive in that area, esp for groups! the wait is long, we waited in line for about an hour, the first half of which was outside in the freezing cold. it was super crowded inside, in the waiting area near the bar, the waitstaff were getting snappy bringing food back and forth in between the crowd, but what do you expect when you let too many ppl in at once?? the food was standard, nothing special, just pizza.
the space is absolutely gorgeous! it used to be a church and looks very grand, kind of out of place for a pizzeria! it would be a great location for something much fancier/expensive, but the prices are good enough for us poorish ppl. it is an ideal place to bring relatives/visitors who want to get the best bargain for their $.
I went here today for dinner. The restaurant was definitely very nice and we were seated immediately without any wait. The menu definitely was promising. I actually appreciated the restaurant more because of the cathedral-styled ceiling (who doesn't like a fancy ceiling?).
I would recommend this place and I would give it 4 stars EXCEPT for the fact that our waiter screwed up! I wanted to order two pizzas one with chicken and the other with sausage. The food came out fast but it turns out he only gave us one of the pizzas. We assumed that the second one would come a little later but it turned out he didn't even write down the other pizza and he immediately came over and gave us the check! We asked about our second pizza and he looked at us surprised like we were speaking another language. He apologized and got our pizza out pretty quickly. The pizzas were great but the waiter was not.
I love those thin-crusted pizzas. Mmmmm Delicious!
I LOVE this place and I LOVE the pizza!..I have visited and ate here 2 times and plan to go again when next in NYC!
My daughter and her fiance and my best pal ate here about 3 years ago and we always say when we go back to New York..its back to Johns Pizza!!
The inside of the place is HUGE and beautiful..the sevice is good.
I would recommend this place as a must see eat and visit in New York City!
Friggin good!! Love this place.
The margherita pizza is delicious. I love the huge, spacious and beautiful ambience. I can't wait to come back here next time I'm in town.
I just don't get it. I've had plenty better at plenty of places...and the emperor has no clothes!
Sadly, I wasn't impressed, which was a bummer, because I was really looking forward to this place. Having seen it on both the Travel and Food Channels, I had high expectations. We had to wait about a half an hour for a table at around 6:15, and the bar area was packed with others waiting, so we kept getting jostled everytime someone walked by. We were seated right next to the kitchen, which didn't bother me so much, only because it happened to also be right next to one of the oven stations. After much delibearation, my party of 4 decided to go with the Margherita and the Bruschetta. I agree with Tom completely, all it The dessert selection is huge, which is a huge plus for me, except that I got the mocha crisp cake, and it tasted like it was straight out of a refrigerator. Friends got the espresso creme brulee, which looked good, but who knows. The space itself is really nice, huge and airy, with two levels. I liked that the booths were made from old church pews, very creative. Beware if you want a view of the ceiling though, there are some seats under the balcony with an obstructed view. The mural of New York City is great, very detailed, and of course the stained glsss is stunning. But, unless those two decor points are enough to justify a mediocre and overpriced meal, skip it and look at the pictures online!
My wife and I ate here during a trip to New York City, and we loved it. The pizza had the perfect balance of sauce and cheese on top of a wonderful thin crust. They even have whole wheat crust as an option. Our dinner was during Christmas time and the place was decorated beautifully. I definitely recommend John's for lunch or dinner. Even breakfast.
Nestled in the heart of Times Square, John's Pizzeria is a great place to catch a bite to eat before enjoying a lovely Broadway show right across the street. The location is super convenient for theater lovers, and the price is very decent for the area! I came here last night with my friend since everything was overcrowded on 44th Street and this place had plenty of diners, but not too crowded where you had to stand around and wait for a table.
To my surprise, our waitress was very pleasant; I was expecting more surly service since the Theater District was just flooding with people. Anyways, my friend and I ordered:
1) Baked Ziti: The ziti comes freshly baked in its own ceramic plate, with the mozarella cheese bubbling hot and oozing out of the noodles. I was literally drooling at the sight of all the cheese... I eagerly stuck my fork into the noodles and forked it into my mouth... SO GOOD! The noodles were of perfect texture, chewy but not overcooked or soggy. The ricotta cheese sauce, coupled with all the layers of mozarella was absolutely scrumptious: rich, cheesy, wonderful and so damn comforting. It's like you were being cuddled by a lover after...well, you get the point.
2) Plain mozarella pizza pie: (They don't serve slices here, it even says on the back of their shirts!) The pie came hot'n'fresh right out of the oven. The crust is very thin, which was a plus, and the cheese was melted enough just so that you get those awesome strings of cheese hanging from your mouth when you eat a bite. This pizza was pretty damn good, but not #1 in all of NYC. Definitely worth a try to come visit if you ever are in the area!!!
Pros: Great ziti, beautiful decor, not overcrowded
Cons: Waitress bounced and forgot to bring us our check
I've been to John's twice this year. The first time was in the Spring, and the service and pizza were very good. The second time was two nights ago, and both the service and the pizza were pretty close to atrocious. My girlfriend would like to give them the benefit of the doubt since it was a holiday week and we were there during a pretty bad rush. This plus my better experience earlier in the year are the only things keeping me from giving them one star.
About my most recent visit: We came in without a reservation, put our name in, and had a beer. There was a huge crowd waiting for tables, but our number was called after only about 20 minutes. Pleasant surprise - off to a good start. Our waiter took our drink order pretty quickly. Not the most friendly guy in the world, but cold efficiency is fine as long as the food is good. We ordered a salad, which came quickly and was good enough. We then ordered the pizza, a margherita with sundried tomatoes. When it came out, the server more or less threw it down on the table without breaking his step. He was long gone before we realized he didn't leave new plates. We gave it a minute and then decided to scrape the salad remnants of our salad plates so we would have something to put the pizza on.
It was about this time that my girlfriend remarked that the pizza looked overdone. I personally prefer my crust on the crispier side, so I didn't worry too much about that. Unfortunately, she was absolutely right - it was undoubtedly overcooked. The cheese and sauce basically had all the flavor cooked out of them (assuming there was some to begin with), and the crust was pretty well pretzel-ized. Looking back, it seems likely that they took a regular pie, added some basil and sundried tomatoes on top, and threw it back in the oven for a minute or two. That would explain why the toppings were not cooked into the pie, and why the pie itself was overdone.
After my first slice, I started to wish we had sent the pizza back (which, by the way, is exactly what a couple at a nearby table did). I really didn't feel like waiting another 10-15 minutes for a new one, though, plus there was no guarantee a replacement would be much better. So we soldiered on and ate most of it.
During this whole time, the waiter was nowhere to be seen, nor was a busboy. So we ate our entire dinner staring at our old salad bowl. Luckily, our drinks lasted the whole meal. The waiter finally ran by and threw down our bill (I guess we didn't want dessert!) while mumbling something that I hope was along the lines of, "thanks for coming." We just paid and left, shaking our heads.
So, like I said, I'll give this place the benefit of the doubt based on my earlier visit. But with truly excellent pizza in no short supply elsewhere, I see no reason to go back here.
I know pizza and this is great pizza! Plus, the atmosphere is unlike anything you'll find in a pizzeria anywhere else. Great sauce and crust.
Lots of beverage options!
Great location! Close enough to Hell's Kitchen that you feel connected to the neighborhood and even though it's Times Square, it doesn't feel touristy.
It's best to go with a small group but I've gone solo plenty of times.
We came here for some good old NY pizza. The interior is nicely renovated but you can still tell it used to be a movie theater. I love how they have the open pizza kitchen area so you can watch the chefs roll, toss, knead the dough for the pizza. The service was okay. Food was not particularly special or amazing, but good.
Pizza: sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers
crust was very thin in the middle of the pizza so it wouldn't hold and we had to use a fork & knife to eat it, the cheese was really good
Beer - Sam Adams Octoberfest: good
When I'm in New York City, I enjoy coming to this pizzeria, it's great. The place is huge and they have the best pizza here, I wish they had a location in LA. They have tons of diffrent options for your pizza.
Just went to John's on my last NYC trip to satisfy my pizza fix. The place is an old converted church. So, of course its beautiful. I seem to remember the pizza being better. Maybe we just loaded it with too many toppings. I still think Lombardi's is better and the standard by which all others will be judged.
I would give this place THREE stars...but the quality of the pizza is too inconsistent to give the extra star.
Plenty of room and the waiters are...prompt.
Methinks that the Zagat rating this place received has gone to its collective "head."
The good:
1) Good (usually) pizza
2) Well-stocked bar
3) Close to a number of different attractions.
4) Beautiful interior
The bad:
1) The wait staff is sometimes more interested in meeting the male customers (it IS the Theater District after all) than serving the customers.
2) The pizza quality is too uneven (some pies really good,some terrible)
3) The wait can be TERRIBLE.
4) The price are definitely Times Square (Bring your wallet)
Not bad...but NOT the best.
I guess the secret is out.....damn!
OK. It's true. John's has a two fist death grip on one of the top spots for "Best Pizza" title in NYC. The fact that they can pump out so many in such high quality in so short a period of time is both alarming and delightful! Before you go into the various gourmet selections get at least a taste of the plain cheese pizza just so you can see what the high water mark starts at!
Just like the city it sits in this place moves and takes no prisoners! The service is polite but not chatty. They are busy people!! The setting of this pizza place is very classy. I mean it is a former church! Look at my profile pic - it is the ceiling of this place!
Like others have said be prepared to wait but rest assured it will be worth it!!
RATATOUIE COOKS HERE!!! (see #3)
1. Delicious pizza - $15 for small pie for 2 people. I should have gotten a large (8 pieces vs. 6 pieces) because it was FANTASTIC!
2. This place is in an old cathedral and was quite a site to see: the painting on the wall, the glass roof, etc.
3. We saw a mouse! Yes, a mouse was running around on the floor and under the tables and a few people saw it and sorta jumped. But it was rather small and expected because of the floor level (you have to walk down into this place). So it was funny. My gf was like, "Ratatoiue cooks here too!!!" No biggie, but i think management was embarrassed when i mentioned it.
This is a place where you can sit down and dine by the way. Not a walk up. They do NOT serve slices and in fact, their shirts say, "No Slices."
Hands down, AWESOME PIES, AWESOME ATMOSPHERE. Brick oven pizza, and add the Italian sausage, it was great over their cheese pizza.
We've been to NYC enough to know where the tourist traps are, even though we're visitors ourselves. Still wanting a solid place to indulge in some NY Pizza, we decided to give John's a try since we were in its area and brave the tourist crowds.
Outside was nondescript but neat with the pink awning, and peering in through the door and seeing the line and the crowd almost made us turn away. I'm so glad we didn't though--we liked how we were assigned a group number and told the wait would be 1/2 hour or less at a peak dinnertime on a Saturday night. So we muscled our way up to the bar--a little small for a restaurant this size, but still ok, for a fresh pint of Brooklyn Lager which we greatly enjoyed. The bartenders were busy but courteous and must have infinite patience.
We probably waited only 20 minutes or so for our table and were whisked to the upper balcony in the cavernous dining room. The whole restaurant is decorated for the holidays--a 10+-foot tall tree in the bar/waiting area, lighted wreaths in the dining area and garlands--casting a warm, inviting glow in the place. A+ for ambiance.
Our service wasn't overly friendly but efficient and again courteous. Our beer order was unfortunately incorrect, as we wanted Sam Adams Winter, but we got pints of Yuengling. Same price, so we didn't fuss.
Now for the pizza--we ordered a large pizza with wheat crust and peppers. The pizza was delicious--the crust especially. We eat pizza with fork and knife anyway, so it was easy to cut and enjoy. The balance of cheese and sauce was just right; we would have liked more peppers, and liked them more finely diced. The toppings are expensive, so the base price of the large pizza can quickly skyrocket if you're not careful. Even so, a dinner split between two people, even with a drink, can be less than $20 and in NYC that makes us very, very happy. We felt our meal was an excellent value and we will go again, no question. Next time though we'll probably go for more toppings, which they will put on only half the pizza if one party wants or doesn't want something, but it's still the same price.
We can't wait to return here on our next day trip to NYC.
He knows his pizza, does John. Not a very Italian name, though. Ah well, not to worry.
We went on a weeknight without a booking and were very well accommodated. The restaurant is really quite big and the staff were very friendly indeed. We got a very reasonably-priced drink from the bar while we waited ten minutes for a table, and then the decision making began.
I've never had to order a pizza this way before: choose a very basic pizza - cheese or no cheese, what type of sauce, pizza or calzone - then pay for each topping you want extra. It's a great chance to experiment with different combinations.
Two warnings:
1. 'Small' means 'huge' (and 'large' presumably means 'ridiculous')
2. Add garlic if and only if you love garlic. To stay in your mouth for two days.
Don't get me wrong, it's great value for money, but an even smaller option than small might have been better. And the garlic was lovely. Just that some people want to be able to taste other things as well.
I wanted to try proper NYC pizza, and I believe I did. Is it the best it gets? Well, I'd have to try a few more places in order to have a chance of judging that. Hence no five stars. Still very much worth it and a great place to go with a date or with friends.
Though the pizza here was pretty good, the main attraction to this place for me was the beautiful ceiling. The pizzeria used to be a church (I think, just look at the decor) and the atmosphere is very nice. When I was here twice, we had to wait 10-20 minutes for a table, but no biggie. There are TVs by the bar, so you can keep yourself entertained.
The service was good, but sort of slow. But, I guess it's understandable because the place was packed and the pizzas take a while to cook.
It's definitely a cool place to check out. If not for their pizza, their ceiling. It really is a pretty sight (:
For the price of this pizza, it could've been way better. Over $20 for a plain pie plus $2 for each topping you add, but then the pizza came out greasy and floppy. Granted, the flavor was good, but I expected this thin crust to come out crispy. There was a hint of charcoal from the coal-burning ovens that the pizza was cooked in.
The place itself is pretty nice. It was once a church and the main dining area has a beautiful stained glass dome. Fortunately, I went to Lombardi's during this NY trip and Lombardi's lived up to its reputation. Skip John's and go to the original NY pizza place.
I've eaten here a few times after seeing Broadway shows. The pizza is pretty darn good, as is the service. The crust is nice and thin, the way I liked it, and a small pizza is definitely enough for two. My mom and I also shared the mozzarella wedges, which left me unimpressed. They tasted greasy, and I've definitely had better. Also, the wine list leaves much to be desired (the Cab was horrible and I think we can all do a little better than Yellowtail Riesling when we're charging $7 a glass, can't we?). The pizza is excellent, though, and that's what counts!
This was my first meal in New York. We got there in the middle of the Sunday matinee rush, so there was about a 30 minute wait. It wasn't a big deal. We bellied up the bar, had a drink, and waited for our number.
We got the bruschetta appetizer and it was really great. Tons of garlic and really fresh tomatoes. Yum! We ordered a small pizza with mushrooms, peppers, and onions for the main dish. It came out absolutely steaming, which was impressive, but the second slice was better because it had time to cool down. The crust was just how I like it, thin with a little bit of chewiness.
It was a nice introduction to the city and worth the wait.
I was in Times Square, and being from Houston, asked a NYC police officer for some pizza advice. He said to head towards 8th Ave., but I stumbled upon this place instead. The architecture inside was beautiful, and I love watching the guys make the pizza in the fire-brick oven. YUM! The portions are HUGE!!! The small pizza could easily feed four people, and the caesar salad fed two. Best of all, I was able to buy a shot glass for a souvenir.
"Wow dude. The pizza was AMAZING. The pest pizza I've ever had in my life. I had a rough time trying to find a very very very good slice of pizza in NY so I yelped and also asked concierge, both of which suggest John's pizzaria. Staying at the Westin at Times Square, it was only a few blocks away.
Let me tell you. Even the water tastes good there (very sweet). The Pizza was GOOEY, delicious, just the right saltiness, and perfectly done (you know it is when the dough has a nice crunch to it). Overall, simply the best pizza ever.
On a random side note, for the longest time, I've always thought this place was called St. John's Pizzaria. I don't know why."
Here's a review from my hubby who is spending the week in NYC:
Maybe it's because we were in sunny San Diego yesterday, and now I'm in the biting cold of New York City. Or maybe it's because I'd spent the entire day on a plane, gingerly trying to establish some elbow room on the armrest I was sharing with an enormous, splotchy man in a tiny, unwashed red t-shirt who was crammed into the seat next to me. But by the time I managed to catch a cab to John's Pizzeria at 10:30 p.m., I was cranky and almost nauseous with hunger.
Thankfully: (1) it was late, so there was no wait; (2) I was seated right in front of one of the wood-burning ovens, so I could watch the pizzas cook atop the dancing flames; and (3) the pizza I ordered (a small margherita with no extra toppings -- just mozzarella and tomato sauce) came out quickly and hit the spot.
The best part of the pizza was the crust: It was baked perfectly: thin and crisp (but not hard), with a nice chewy finish and good, salty flavor. In contrast, the cheese and sauce were unremarkable. (The toppings on the margherita pizza we picked up last night at Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco tasted significantly fresher.) Still, contrary to some reviewers' experiences, John's pizza wasn't greasy or soggy. (Delfina's was much soggier.) Overall, not a bad pie.
The restaurant interior is ginormously cavernous and seats about 400, though its former life as a church lends it an air of musty seriousness not befitting the casual food or the touristy customers clutching theater tickets and guidebooks. (Contemplating stained glass windows in octagonal church cupolas is not something I typically do while shaking red pepper flakes onto a pizza.)
All in all, John's is pretty decent. Another plus: Service was quick and to-the-point -- just the way I like it. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to eat here or stand in a long line for a table, but for a quick, good New York-style pizza in a neighborhood known more for its garish neon chain restaurants, this place is A-OK.
(For my fellow Palo Altans, note that John's Pizzeria is a favorite of Howard Bulka's -- formerly of Chez Panisse and Marche, who's opening up an artisinal pizza joint in the Town & Country Village this summer.)
Okay, so this isn't THE BEST pizza in town but if you combine the food and atmosphere, it's a great place to go. Make sure you get a seat inside the restaurant. It's gorgeous. The food is simple and delicious and won't break the bank.
I tell all my out of town friends to try this place. It's another NY monument.
The salads here are pretty fresh and the Caesar was well balanced. The fried calamari was also pretty tasty, although the batter fell apart easily when dipped in the marinara sauce.
The pizza was very good when it was fresh. The cheese was gooey and perfectly melted and the crust was definitely NY style (thin and crunchy). However, you better eat fast because the pizza, after sitting out for about 5 minutes, were definitely no longer worth eating.
The marinara sauce for the meatballs were very good, but both the flavor and the texture of the meatballs were not that great (I highly recommend against ordering it). They also had penne pasta with vodka sauce (which wasn't bad but there was nothing special about them).
I would give the pizza (when fresh) and calamari 4 stars but overall, the place gets 3 stars because of the bad meatballs and mediocre penne.
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